My future never looked so Bright
by Silent'Saki
Summary: It's been five years since Sarah decided to submit her adventure as a script to Jim Henson's company. He released the movie the next year... What happens when the Goblin King decides that he doesn't want Sarah to forget what happened, that it was real.
1. Chapter 1: A strong Memory

**HI! this is my first story here! I'm a long time reader, first time writer so Please R&R (I accept annonymous reviews)!**

**Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me... Jim henson is a genius... The story belongs to me though...**

**PS If things aren't going exactly like you remember them in the movie, Hang tight,... theres a reason for that..**

She had her eyes closed, and she didn't want to open them.

The sound of Twinkling bells fell lightly upon Sarah's ear. They accompanied a familiar melody which was being played by several unearthly sounding instruments. Oh, how she wanted to stay like this forever.

Wait, Like what?

Her eyes fluttered gently beneath their lids.

Simply standing with her eyes closed listening to this lullaby and the haughty laughter of others.

Wait, laughter?

She wanted to open her eyes, to look at what was going on around her, but she couldn't. Why not? Because something horrible would happen! Fear pounded in her heart. But why was she so afraid?

'Oh god, Sarah,' her mind whispered, 'What did you get into now?'

She urged her eyes to open despite the wrenching feeling in her gut.

'This is stupid,' she thought, 'what person in their right mind can't even open their eyes.'

She slowly heaved her eyelids open. As soon as she did, she wished that she hadn't. She quickly closed her eyes again.

'No No No!' her mind chanted, 'Not here! Please! It's all a dream… Just let me wake up… wake up…'

What she saw before her was a scene that she loved and hated; this thing that both taunted her and frightened her.

There were several white gaudy chandeliers hanging from the mirrored ceiling. A large area filled with colorful cushions of every shape and size was in the center of the room. The floor was meant for dancing and split into two levels. There were several intricate patterns within the floor itself. Hundreds of dancers wore elegant Venetian style dancing dresses. The masks even reminded Sarah of Venice, but they were different somehow. These were mocking and playful. As if the dancers thought it was fun to dress up like goblins themselves. The walls curved dangerously inward and reminded Sarah of a giant soap bubble. Sarah herself was dressed in the same ball gown she had worn so many years ago: elegant, simple and flattering with a small train flowing from the back.

Sarah's hand grips the gauzy material of her skirt as she desperately tried to wake up.

'This has to be a dream,' She told herself, 'so why can't I wake up?'

The music slowed and a calming tenor voice rang throughout the entire ballroom.

_There's such a sad love_

_Deep in your eyes_

'Oh, What the heck,' she thought, 'If it's just a dream, why can't I enjoy it?'

_A kind of pale jewel_

_Open and close_

_Within your eyes_

_I'll place the sky _

_Within your eyes_

She opened her eyes bravely, proud of her discovery. She scanned the crowd. The many guests of this ball were obviously enjoying themselves.

'Where is he?' Sarah questioned herself, 'I can hear him. He must be here.'

A small wisp of sapphire hair caught her eye. Her head whipped around to the source. No Goblin King. Her head whipped in the direction of the crystal voice, but it changed direction. Suddenly a warm gloved hand was upon her waist. A chill flew down her spine and came to rest as permanent tingles where the strange hand rested. Knowing fully well what she would see, she turned around to face it.

It took her breath away, just like she remembered. His face was chiseled by the hands of angels. His eyebrows curved just so and his skin glowed with a supernatural presence. His champagne hair cascaded messily and graced his shoulders. When one looked closer one could see streaks of sapphire blue throughout his beautiful locks. Sarah's breath hitched as she stared into his mismatched eyes. He was so much more than David Bowie could ever portray. This was her Goblin King.

His throat fluttered as he sang her the words that meant so much to him. His eyes bore into hers and she could hardly breathe. He used the hand that was resting on her waist to draw her closer to him.

And they started to dance.

Sarah was mesmerized by the entire experience. Her feet moved against her own will and she smiled as the lovely Jareth spun her around and around. This time there was no time limit, no Toby, and no silly peach. It was just her and the King. This was the moment that she wished she could relive ever since she had defeated that stupid labyrinth.

_I'll paint you mornings of gold_

_I'll spin you Valentine Evenings_

_Though we're strangers 'till now_

Their dancing stopped and the music faded away. Sarah looked around her breathlessly. Why had they stopped, it was the best part of the song and she was just getting into the dancing. She looked back into Jareth's eyes. He started to lean toward her.

'Is he—' Her mind couldn't even register the thought.

She felt the unmistakable feeling of butterflies in her stomach as she gave into his charms. The hand that had once rested upon her waist trailed up her body seductively. It finally came to rest upon her cheek. Sarah felt blood rushing to her face as Jareth guided her mouth toward his. Her lips were parted slightly, begging for him to kiss her. He was mere millimeters from her lips—

"SARAH!!!!!"

Sarah jolted upright from her resting position.

It was all a dream.

She groaned and rolled over trying to regain the moment she just had. The moment that she feared would haunt her the rest of her life.

**So what did you think? Tell me please!**

**S'S**


	2. Chapter 2: What life really is

**MUST READ THIS!**

**So here we are again! ****The**** r****eview****s**** I received w****ere**** wonderful! glares at everyone who didn't review So****, I've**** decided to continue in hopes that more people will be interested in this story. **

**Here's something I**** forgot to mention in the first chapter**** this story is rated M for a reason (as in very lemon flavored chapters). ****So,****i****f you don't like that sort of thing, don't worry. I'll be putting the extremely sour chapters separate from the story so you won't miss anything if you skip the chapter altogether (I will give you a warning).**

**I'm looking for an Editor of sorts! I found myself reading the first chapter again and noticed WAY to many mistakes (mostly pronouns 'cuz I'm horrible at those)… so put somewhere in your review (hehehe) that you are interested and I'll find a way to contact you. **

**So the previous chapter was almost a prologue and was very short. Sorry to those who don't like long hefty chapters! I'm a sucker for those! And as always R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the labyrinth or any of their characters. Any characters that aren't shown in the movie are mine (so ask before you take!) as is the story…**

"SARAH!!!!!"

Sarah jolted upright from her resting position.

It was all a dream.

She groaned, lay back down and rolled over trying to regain the moment she just had. The moment that she feared would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Sarah! Come down this instant!"

She rolled over again, shoving her head into the covers and wondered why she was back at her old house. Reaching toward her left she found another pillow and crammed it over her head, hoping to block out the sound. Then she heard a tiny knock outside the door.

"Sarah?" a young boy's voice questioned, "Can you come down pwease? She won't let me open anything 'till you're there… Santie brought us all sorts o' stuff Sarah. An' I wanna see if I got any Hot-Wheels."

'Toby,' she remembered, 'Oh God, it's Christmas isn't it?'

"Don't worry Tob," she said fondly, "I'll be down in a minute."

She heard his tiny feet scamper down the stairs as she slid herself from the bed. Glancing at her clock, she realized that it was about 7 in the morning. She stretched her arms over her head and got up to wash her face. She entered the bathroom and flicked on the light. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Her hair was knotted and frizzy and her eyes were half open. What happened to you Sarah? It had only been six years since she ran the labyrinth, and five since she sent that script.

That adventure had turned her life around. About a year after she had defeated the Goblin King, Sarah got over her paranoia and sent a copy of her story to Jim Henson's film company. She didn't actually think that any type of response would come from it. After all, who uses a script written by a 17 year old?

Jim's reply had come quickly. They loved it and, George and Jim, wanted to turn it into a feature film. All she wanted was to vent a little, and now everyone would see her story thinking it was just a fairy tale. That ticked her off a bit.

A week after the letter, Sarah got a phone call. Two Million. That's what they offered her: Two million dollars for her 18th birthday in trade for her script. How could she not take it? A week after, she was flown down to California so that she could help with casting. She only had one request: David Bowie must play King Jareth. She knew that his voice was the only one that could come close to the Goblin King's. His eyes were the same mismatched ones she knew so well. She'd enjoy watching that on the screen.

She was surprised that the filmmakers had come so close to the experience she remembered (minus the cheesy effects, the glitter, the comedy, and the Fireys of course). They had insisted on introducing the Fireys (who never existed in her journey) which Sarah didn't approve of. They replaced the FireSprites form her adventure which acted more like sirens than crazy teenagers. Their drugged song acted much like the peach.

Sarah almost wished she could have lived the movie as her adventure instead. That one was so much happier and much less confusing. Jenny had played the part well, and Sarah had been very surprised when they found someone that looked so much like her. It had felt very awkward to hand the script over to Terry and Brian. They did make it rather funny in the end, but the movie itself had never told the story exactly the way she remembered it.

She turned the right knob on the sink and watched the water flow steadily. Cupping her hands underneath the water she collected it. She splashed the frigid liquid several times in her face before she was convinced that she was fully awake.

"Sawah!" Toby's pleading voice echoed through the house.

"Coming!" she replied.

She hastily dabbed her face with a towel and grabbed a housecoat on her way out of the bathroom.

Her feet thundered down the stairs as she pulled the housecoat over her arms. She tied the housecoat and skidded around the corner that led into the living room.

When she looked around she almost laughed. The small family huddled in the living room looked a lot like a Calvin and Hobbes comic. Toby was sitting near the tree, his eyes big and fixed on a bright red package. His right arm gripped an old and tattered Lancelot close to his chest. It was obvious that the boy had woken both of the parents up before they had had enough sleep. Karen's eyes were blinking slowly surrounded by large rings and bags. Karen held her coffee directly under her nose, as if the smell itself would wake her. She was sitting on the tan leather ottoman hunched over her knees, trying to stay upright. Sarah's father didn't look much better. He was leaning against the wall with his right hand in his pocket. The other hand casually gripped his mug of coffee, while his eyes drooped as if he were drugged.

"Okay," Sarah said slowly, "I'm here Tob, you can start now."

With that, the young boy bounded towards the gifts with a holler.

* * *

**Well, there's Chapter two! It's kind of short**** but I was rushed. What I was planning for this chapter will have to go in the next one. Plus, this seemed like a good place to stop because the next bit will get a little rocky. Hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter should be out sometime next week.**


	3. Chapter 3: tears I never Cried

**First Off I owe EVERYONE and apology. This chapter was already written and simply sitting around waiting for me to post. I was ready to post right after my Christmas break, then my world exploded. My Ex-Boyfriend and I are having some trouble, and my mother has also decided that she needs to enter my life with problems. A girlfriend of mine has been having an extra hard time with her life because her boyfriend (which she has been dating on and off [mostly on for 5 years) is now moving to Australia. This news is really hard on her. I think she loves him and isn't really ready to admit it because it would make the move harder. The option of her moving with him is also out of the question (she has to complete her degree; stupid biology majors). So I have had to be there for moral support. So between me being the shoulder to cry on, a butt in some jackass's joke, a daughter who never gets anything right, and a person who is trying to pass her classes this quarter, I couldn't get on line. I am so very sorry. I will be trying to post more often and for the next 3 weeks or so I should have some chapters done. I don't want to make any more promises because I don't know what life is gonna throw at me next.**

**I want to thank all of you who reviewed me and I hope that I haven't lost any readers. **

**BEE BOP BEE BOP! I AM STILL IN NEED OF AN EDITOR OR BETA! PLZ! **

**There will be a few more flashbacks in this chapter so hang tight and tell me if it gets too confusing. Well if I haven't bored you all to death, heres the third installment of my little fanfic. Enjoy!**

**Remember: M for a reason! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Labyrinth. If I did I would be watching anime all the time and hiring someone to deal with my ex...(evil laugh) ...**

**Chapter 3**

**Tears I never Cried**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The living room had become ground zero. Wrapping paper and cardboard boxes littered the once clean area. For the past three hours the Williams family had been tearing apart the beautifully wrapped packages with ruthless determination. The result of which was a very, very large mess.

Karen was in the corner of the room admiring the necklace which Robert had spent most of his money on, while Robert himself was sickeningly fawning over his new golf club set. The only evidence that Toby was even there, were the small "Vroom" noises coming from behind a very large stack of wrapping paper. Sarah sighed and looked down at her small stack of Christmas gifts.

There wasn't much: A thick sweater or two, and a few Jane Austin books from her Aunt Matilda. Toby had gotten her a Rubber Chicken ("...But Karen said you liked chickens!") which had caused quite a commotion. Sarah knew that Karen still didn't like her, but she found it terribly hurtful when she did things like this. 'Maybe shes just jealous,' Sarah thought fondly, giving her rubber chicken a light squeeze, 'Jealous that I'm rich and unmarried.'

Sarah was wakened from her thoughts by Toby, who was tugging on her housecoat with fervor.

"Sawah," he said, his eyes glittering with pure cute-ness, "It's time for breakfast."

Sarah looked around the living room to find that her father and step-mother had both left and the smell of eggs was wafting from the kitchen.

"Ok," she said, "I'm coming Tob"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Karen's new glittering necklace bounced away from her as she flipped the pancakes one by one. Robert had already sat down at the small table and was reading yesterday's paper. Toby skipped to the breakfast bar and lugged himself up onto the stool. Sarah gently sat down next to him and watched him run two of his new hotwheel cars together (making appropriate "KrsCHKSHT!" noises the entire time).

'Sheesh! How hes grown!' Sarah mused, 'God, could that be the same kid in a blue little onesie that I-'

Sarah stopped herself short.

'No need to be thinking about that anymore,' she decided, 'It's refused me altogether, remember? It would be better to just forget about it entirely. It was nothing but a dream, nothing but a dream, nothing but a dream...'

She continued that mantra as she stood up and fetched herself a steaming cup o' joe, glad of its warmth on her dry tongue.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The girl didn't know what she was doing. The Goblin King could sense that. Yes, he had given that book to her for a reason and yes, she was supposed to come to his realm, but not like that... not like that...

She had said those stupid words, the words thousands had said before. He had taken the child for her. That was what she had wanted wasn't it? Well, Wasn't it? Oh, how he had boiled that night, with anger, and with longing.

She was smart, and she had easily defeated him. She drug him down into a new low, a new darkness.

He was defeated and he was alone.

Before she ran the labyrinth, he had often watched her. He enjoyed her little plays, poems and stories. She was so vibrant and lovely. She was kind of thing he would love to have in his grasp, like a caged bird, that sang so sweetly.

He had stopped watching her when he had been defeated. Or at least, he had tried to. There were nights when he had tossed and turned in his chambers wishing that his nightmares would end. That was when he would reverently draw the crystal and send his darling a dream. He never knew the contents of these dreams, for that was not for him to decide. All he knew is that he sent her hearts desire; something that she longed for. Just so that he could see a smile on her face.

And that would be his lullaby.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sarah really didn't know that the words would work. In fact she was quite startled when the Goblin King had appeared in her parent's room.

They played the game, and she had won. She had new friends, and a new outlook on life.

She called on her friends every spare chance that she had. Talking with them, and partying with them. She never had many friends aboveground and the ones underground really seemed to relate to her.

So it was Hoggle that she had confided to.

She had told him of her love for Jareth. It was a surprise to him at first, but then he started to understand. Sarah herself didn't really understand it. Loving him felt all to right, but she didn't know why. She knew that the Goblin King would never return her feelings, so she had told Hoggle to keep everything absolutely quiet.

The Goblin King could never love her. She wasn't stupid; she had read that confounded book. She was sure that he had written it. And she knew who he had written it for. That girl. The one who first defeated the labyrinth. The servant girl who was really a princess. Not Sarah, not plain old Sarah. This must be his revenge on all women. This love she felt.

She had kept calling her friends for more than a year. Until one day, they stopped answering. She had just come home from the premiere of the movie. She had hugged David Bowie several times and answered many questions from the surrounding newscasters. She had so much to share with her friends.

"I need you, all of you." She had said solemnly into the mirror, and waited. And waited.

And waited.

"Hoggle," she had said, "Ludo?"

"Sir Didymus?...I need you, ... com'on guys... stop playing... I need you."

Sarah waited for hours, not wanted to believe that her friends had deserted her. Finally she changed into her Pj's and decided to try again tomorrow. And so she tried, she even tried calling Jareth.

Shouting his name into the air. Screaming "I wish..." and collapsing to the floor.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and well... you get the picture. After an entire year of trying she completely gave up on her friends.

The entire Labyrinth had deserted her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

He had been there at the premiere.

He rolled his eyes at every dull line the "Goblin King" had uttered. Really, he did not sound like that. And his hair did not look that ridiculous. He absentmindedly ran a hand over his head (which indeed, looked almost identical to the movie's interpretation).

If this was all the Labyrinth was to that girl, than so be it. If he was just a story to her, then he would make that a reality.

That night he had cut off all of her resources to the labyrinth. She would no longer be able to contact her friends (which he had so graciously given her) and she would no longer be able to make any wishes. Ever.

But if she dare try anything like that movie again, she would find out just how real his world could be.

TBC...

**WOOO! **

**Okay that took a lot out of me,...**

**Again sorry for any mistakes I make... I need someone to read over this crap...lol**

**If you are interested leave me a side note in your review. **

**Notice how I didn't say who he was fawning over at night. (giggle) ooooh I'm evil!**

**Is it Sarah? Is it? Is it? Muwhahahha! You'll never know... well...you will... it'll just be later...**

**But don't worry too much I'm a J/S fluffy girl at heart...**

**Love your reviews and keep 'um coming!**

**Love you all S'S**


	4. Chapter 4: What we all Wonder

**Thanks for all of you who are hanging in with me even though I ... well... never update... (laughs)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it...If I did... The movie wouldn't have had such a lonely ending!**

**Chapter 4**

**What we all Wonder**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o

Sarah couldn't eat. It's not that she wasn't hungry; she just had way to much on her mind. Her eggs were cold and she kept pushing them around her plate with her fork. She hadn't even bothered to put any pancakes on her plate. Karen's pinky finger was twirling itself in and out of the necklace and she was smiling way to much for Sarah's taste.

With a sigh Sarah got up and dumped her plate's contents into the trash can.

"I'm full," She lied.

She walked over to the sink and placed her plate and silverware into the small porcelain tub.

"Hey Tob," she said, while she retrieved another cup of coffee, "How about you and I go the park later and play with some of that new stuff you got?"

She turned around to see that not one of her family members had heard her. Toby was running his finger along a miniature red convertible with a look of awe on his face.

"Nevermind," she grumbled and headed into the living room.

Putting her mug down on the ottoman she picked up her gifts from that morning's escapades. Squishing everything under one arm, she picked up her mug and headed towards her bedroom. When she got into her bedroom she carelessly dropped her Christmas gifts onto the bed.

Placing her coffee down on the smooth surface of the vanity, she sat down in front of the old mirror. She placed her head in her hands and thought about everything that had happened.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After the movie script had been accepted, Sarah had put herself through college. She had graduated with her Communication Arts degree a year early. She had never taken a summer off.

"Summers allow me to think to much," she had told people, "And you don't want to see me when I'm thinking."

She had only just moved into her new house, and was looking for a job. Not that she really needed one. The money that she made from the movie was enough to support her for the rest of her life. She just needed something to keep her busy. Something that wouldn't involve thinking about the Labyrinth or any of its inhabitants. Nothing had shown up yet. Karen had become overly involved in this process, as well as trying to set up Sarah with someone of the opposite sex.

That wasn't working out too well either.

Not that she was complaining; she knew she needed someone. The nights she spent wallowing by herself in her immense cavity of a house, was enough to convince her of that. She felt terribly alone.

But every date that she had been on so far had been a complete disaster. God, she couldn't remember how many there were. She remembered a few of them sure, but half of them were so... well...

Bret was the first. He was nice and tall. His brunette hair was perfect; as were his blue eyes. His laugh was jolly and fun-loving. But no matter how she looked at him, she couldn't see him as a lover. An eventual friend? Maybe. But Lover? Never.

The same was with John, Mike, Jeff, Caleb, Jose, and every other great guy that she was set up with.

God, they were all amazing, but none of them were quite...

'Quite what Sarah?' she thought, 'Not quite what?'

Well, they were all amazing: funny, nice, sweet, and chivalrous. But none of them were...

'None of them were quite Jareth.' she said finally, releasing a sigh. 'None of them would ever be like Jareth, and so I couldn't love them.'

She slammed her fist on the vanity and began to cry. The hot tears rolled down her cheeks like that had so many times before. She reluctantly got up and crossed the room toward her box of tissues. Picking one up, she blew hard.

Wiping away the last of her tears, she sighed.

"It's not fair, Jareth. It just isn't fair."

Sarah sighed and began to rummage through her closet for something to wear.

"Sa-RAH!" a shrill voice called.

'Oh god.' She thought "What is it now Karen?!"

"Phone for you!"

'The phone?' she mused, 'I didn't even hear it ring.'

"Okay, I'll get it up here..." She called back.

Sniffling a bit, she picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

"Oh, Sarah? Good, you're there. Your Step-mother said you may not want to talk. It being Christmas Morning and all."

"Oh, Jim! No, no, no It's fine. You know you can call me at any time."

"Thanks for that Sar. Well, I was calling you to ask a favor. Its about the Labyrinth"

"And what type of favor would this be Jim?" she asked with a fire in her voice. He knew she didn't want to do anything to it. It was perfect the way it was.

"Now, don't you get mad, but I've been talking with Terry, Brain, and David. They think it's a great idea!"

"Spit it out, Jim."

"Okay, okay. I know I've asked you before, but don't you think that now is the right time for a sequel?...Now, before you yell at me, hear me out..."

Sarah made a small croaking sound, before sighing and closing her mouth.

"Shoot, Jim."

"...thats better... So, I know that this thing is your baby Sarah, but you've got to let it leave the nest sometime..."

Sarah rolled her eyes. Jim was always good at guilt tripping.

"... And fans are demanding we continue the story... If you're worried about the storyline, you can write it yourself, ... or you could ...er... Hire someone... Or get Brain and Terry to whip up their own version!... Look... What I'm trying to say is that everyone here at the studio thinks that continuing the story would be a great achievement, and a lot of fun. Jenny is even willing to do something... But we need your permission to do it... And I think you're taking it way to seriously, Sar. You have to remember that the Labyrinth isn't real. I mean, I want it to be real, and I know that it's certainly real to you, but ... you need to let it go... Stop keeping this fantasy to yourself. Other people deserve to have the labyrinth, too Sar. So, at least tell me that you'll think about it."

Silence followed Jim's small speech.

'It isn't real? Of course it's real. But no one else knows that.' She thought, 'Wait, Sarah! Don't get ahead of yourself. The Labyrinth rejected you remember? You're nothing to it now.'

She stifled the small squeak that threatened to escape.

'You're nothing to it. So it's nothing to you.' Sarah sighed, 'All it will ever be is a dream. It wasn't and isn't real. ...so ...why not?... it's not like they care.'

Sarah could her Jim trying to converse with someone on the other end and she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"So, er, Jim?"

"Yes, Sarah?"

"I don't really think I need to think about it. I-"

"Now Sarah, I think you're making a horrible decision...I mean-"

"At least let me finish, Jim. I did the same for you."

She could almost hear him shrink. No one knew her temper as much as Jim did.

"I don't think I need to think about it, because I think its a great idea... I'll have a draft of the plot over to you by next month."

"U-uh...I ..er... Wow. Thank you so much Sarah!"

Sarah swore she could her someone in the background asking, "She said yes? How'd you get her to say yes?"

"No Problem, Jim. I guess I should get started then..."

"Yes Sarah, yes." Jim said hurriedly, obviously distracted by something, "Thanks so much. I'll talk to you in about a week."

"Okay Jim, See ya."

Sarah hung up the phone before Jim said goodbye.

Well, at least now she would have something to keep busy with.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**A/n: I know I know... I'm evil... but you know you love it! **

**R&R much appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5: Fuck loneliness

**So I'm a little disappointed that I only got two reviews the other day (sniffle)... Well... I guess that's what happens when you don't post for a month or two... (le sigh)... So here is another chapter... hopefully you guys will like me more because I'm updating a lot this week (smiles) ... SO PLEAASE R&R! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it... if I did... well... damn... you'd all be screwed.**

**Chapter 5**

"**Fuck loneliness" **

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After Sarah had gotten dressed, she decided to get a head start on the writing. Sarah walked over to her vanity and sat down. She reluctantly opened the right drawer and reached in to pull out a notebook. Without looking, she pulled out the first thin book she felt and placed in on the painted wood. She was concentrating on the finding a good pencil when she finally saw what her hand had retrieved from the right drawer. A small red, leather bound book sat on her vanity. Sarah could feel the blood rush from her face as she reached down to graze the ornate golden letters. Her index finger carefully traced the words "The Great Labyrinth," as if it would disappear before her very eyes. A chill ran down her spine and she closed her eyes willing the book to vanish.

When she opened them again, the book was still there. Her vision fuzzed slightly and she gripped her head in her hand. She looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. A graceful owl sat perched behind her.

She whirled her head around to find that no owl was perched anywhere in her room. Turning slowly back to the mirror, she looked again. No owl. And no book. Where the blood red novel once was, a innocent-looking black college rule book sat.

Standing up, Sarah slowly backed away from her vanity.

So? She was just hallucinating. It was normal. Right? She was just nervous about her "baby" and how it would change.

'Oh great,' she thought, 'Now, I'm starting to sound like Jim.'

Sarah was still backing up, with her eyes fixed on the simple school notebook. She gave a small, startled gasp when her back collided with her bedroom door. Reaching with her left hand, she fumbled the doorknob and hastily exited her bedroom.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

When she entered Toby's room, Sarah immediately stubbed her toe. Hopping on one foot, she inspected what she had run into. It was a small wooden box that normally held all of Toby's cars. The box had been turned upside down and was now being used as a starting ramp for a rather impressive looking hot wheels track. The entire room was decked out in small roads. Toby was busy setting up one that ran from the edge of his bed to the top of his dresser. He was concentrating so hard that he hadn't noticed his sister's clumsy entrance.

Sarah regained her composure and asked Toby, "Do you want to head out to the park?"

Barely acknowledging his sister's arrival, he said, "Not now, Sawah. I'm doin' hot wheels."

"Oh, okay Toby." she said reluctantly, "Some other time then."

Sarah headed out on her own instead.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The walk wasn't going well. That damned book kept appearing in her mind. At least the lovely snow covered landscape of the park gave her some inspiration. Why had she agreed to that stupid sequel?

She was fresh out of ideas.

"Fuck loneliness..." she mumbled.

She sighed and pulled the collar of her jacket toward her cheeks. She was watching her feet trying to think of a good starting point for this "Labyrinth 2." Then she nearly tripped over it.

A small black box was tied up with a thin red silk ribbon. An old parchment tag that was tied to the ribbon fluttered in the cold winter wind.

"What the-" she muttered. 'Did someone drop this or something?'

It certainly didn't look as if it had been dropped. Sarah crouched down and inspected it. She flipped the tag over and read "To Sarah Williams." She did a double take.

'Maybe it's a coincidence.' she thought, 'Don't be dumb Sarah, no one else is named Sarah _Williams_ around here.'

She sighed.

'But should I open it?.' A vision of a snowy owl perched on her bed flashed through her memory.

"Oh, consequences be damned!" She said as she ripped the ribbon from the small package.

**A/N:**

**OH NO! WHATS IN TEH BOX?! **

**God... I'm evil... (snicker) thats because I love cliffies so much! 3**

**And yes... I hope you all enjoyed this early update... I just want to get this chapter out... **

**So as always... please review! **

**Much love,**

**S'S**


	6. Chapter 6: Surprises are all Hype

**First off, OH GOD, I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for being late! (cries) I hope this longer chapter makes up for it... We're delving into deep shit here!  
**

**second off, thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews! **

**To CoffeeKris: I love COOKIES!... but... no... no it isn't...Yeah.. I find myself feeling like that a lot xD**

**To OceanFae: HAHAHA! I Know I'm evil... (grins) but hey... at least I know you'll keep reading..**

**To Shadow-D'hampyr : Hey! It was an early update... you're lucky you got anything at all! (laughs)... ...**

**so maybe we should have you locked up for your plot ruining comments, eh? Don't worry, I love your azimo vocabulary. Much love Shadow-D! Always great to hear what you think. **

**To Sylistra the scholar: I know he isn't exactly like Jim (I'm just as much of a Labyrinth fan as you are, I've watched all the Henson special features/extras that have been created), but everyone has another side to them, besides the one they put in front of the camera, and so his change of character was completely purposeful. If you don't like it ... then too bad (sticks out tongue). And yeah... all stepmothers aren't horrible... (getting one I presume?) ... I just LOVE playing with Karen's absolutely evil character!**

**SOOO... (glares at everyone that didn't review) I know it's late, but you had better tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: Labyrinth belongs to someone else (sobs)... As does David Bowie...CURSE YOU CRUEL WORLD...CUUUUURSE YOOOOU!**

**Chapter 6 **

"**Surprises are all Hype"**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah's mouth was hanging open. Inside the box was a crystal ball. Exactly like the ones that Jareth would twirl around his fingers. She couldn't help herself, she had to touch it. She slowly lifted the small wonder out of the box. She felt the blood rush from her face and a slight tingle resonated up her arm. She heard a small crunching sound and looked down. Underneath the crystal had been a small piece of stiff paper. Putting the crystal ball in her left hand she grabbed the paper with her right. There was some writing on the paper. It was scrawled by an unskilled hand.

'Looks kinda like Toby's handwriting.' she thought, 'That's strange, its completely different from the writing on the tag' She glanced at the box.

She looked at the crystal and then back to the paper.

'I Wush dat I's cood tawk too Hoggle... What?'

"I Wush dat I's cood tawk too Hoggle?" She said aloud, eyeing the crystal ball.

'Is it supposed to do something?'

The crystal remained perfectly still.

'Guess not.'

Turning back to the paper she tried the message again.

"I wush... I w-... wait... is that I wish? God, I'm stupid."

Stuffing the parchment in the pocket of her coat Sarah stood up straight and held the crystal at eye level. She took a quick look around to make sure that no one was watching before stating:

"I wish that I could talk to Hoggle."

The crystal gave a shudder and started to glow. Sarah peered closer and started to make out a blurry image. Two seconds later a clear miniature version of Hoggle appeared inside the abyss of the crystal. He was sitting in the grounds just out of the Labyrinth and he was stacking small bits of mud into a larger stack of mud, while tiny bits of light (Sarah assumed they were Fairies) danced around his head.

"Hoggle?" she said uncertainly.

A small pair of glossy eyes peered up into the sky as if it was searching for her voice. Then finally settled on her face.

"Sarah?" Hoggle said slowly, "Is that you? Did yas get my gift?"

"Hoggle! IT REALLY **IS **YOU! Oh Hoggle! What happened? I could never find you, ANY of you! Oh god, I missed you. Hoggle where is everyo-"

"Sarah, stop. Yous ain't got much time."

"Hoggle wha-?"

"I know it's gonna hurt to stop Sarah. 'Specially since you won'ts see us agains. But yous got to see that Jareth is actin' up. You gotta stop it. Hes gettin' real angry. Jareth scares me, Sarah. I don't knows what hes gonna do. Don't want nuthin' to harm you Sarah."

"Hoggle..." She said carefully, "I don't understand."

"You just have to stop Sarah. HE KNOWS!" His small panicked eyes darted back and forth, and he raised his muddy hands in emphasis.

"Jareth knows **what** Hoggle?"

"You've done him wrong before he says." He gulped, "Said he won't let you do it again."

"Hoggle, you're not making much sense."

"Sarah please... You gots to stop...don't do it."

"Hoggle, tell me what wrong-"

"It's Jareth, Sarah, he-"

"Higgle! HERE! NOW!" A loud commanding echoed.

'Jareth' Sarah's mind confirmed. Her heart beat fast in her ears.

"Oh no! He wasn't supposeds ta-...errrm...I gots to go Sarah... please...just... please..." Hoggle's image started to fade away and his voice became weaker.

"What am I supposed to do Hoggle?" she shouted frantically at the fading image in the crystal.

Hoggle's panicked image faded altogether and the crystal sat innocently in her hands. A frown raised on her brow. Her mouth hung open.

'What the fuck was that?'

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Hoggle stumbled hastily through the expansive hallways of the Castle at the center of the labyrinth, the castle of the Goblin King. He was mumbling incoherently under his breath, and the sound of his footsteps echoed sharply against the cold stone walls. His small fingers of his right hand traced the plastic jewel bracelet on his left wrist. A weighted object in his pocket clunked gently against his small thigh with each rushed step. Every time the heavy object hit his thigh, a slow tingle spread though his entire leg.

This wasn't good.

He clasped his dwarfed sweaty palms together and tried to slow his breathing. He took a left turn into a small dusty walkway.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Goblin laughter reached his ears as he passed the main chambers.

**HE** wasn't supposed to know.

The fairies had promised that he wouldn't find out.

"Damned fairies...Damn fairy magic..." he muttered to no one in particular, kicking a dusty stone on the ground with his anger. The stone bounced along the walkway and stuttered to a halt.

He approached a small wooden door. The door looked like it belonged in the house of a small run-down cottage. Its simple carvings were rotting around the edges and a green moss-colored rust had taken over the once shining bronze hinges and handle. It was small enough so that a normal fae being would have to crouch to get through, but it towered over the head of the small dwarf. To any normal eye it would have looked like it led to servants quarters, but Hoggle knew this wasn't the case.

Hoggle gulped, trying to steady his limps, and collect his thoughts.

He could hear the king on the other side of the door. He was yelling at Gressin again. He didn't like it when he yelled at Gressin, though he didn't quite know why.

His shaky fist reached for the door. Taking a deep breath, Hoggle knocked softly.

The yelling stopped abruptly.

Hoggle could almost feel the angry gaze of the king through the shabby door. He took another deep breath, willing his thoughts to stop swimming.

"Come in Hedgewort," a lofty voice proclaimed, "I've been waiting."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sarah stared at the motionless object in her hand a few moments before finally daring to breathe. She swallowed hard and turned the crystal in her hand. She saw the bewildered look in her eyes in the upside-down reflection that gazed at her from the crystal.

"Hoggle?" she said again, uncertainly.

She held the crystal nervously. She felt as though it would shatter in her hands.

'I should try calling him again,' she thought.

She straightened herself and held the crystal before her eyes.

"I wish that-" she stopped.

But Jareth called him, he would be there...

She didn't think she could face that right now. Besides, Hoggle was trying to warn her not to do something, and she should be thinking about that instead.

"I'm sorry Hoggle." she muttered to the crystal, "I don't know what you're talking about. I wish I did, but..."

She sighed. A crumpling sound coming from her pocket distracted her from her thoughts. Holding the crystal with caution she lifted the crunched paper from her pocket with her free hand. Underneath the previous message, a new one had been written, the ink was still wet.

The same childish handwriting, which she now knew as Hoggle's, had scribbled:

"Keep the cristel Sarah. Dunt cal me. I will cals ya."

she read this aloud, quietly translating it to proper English in her head.

'Keep the crystal, Sarah. Don't call me, I 'll call you.'

Good thing she had stopped herself earlier. She took his warning to heart. Looking down, her eyes searched for the box that the crystal had come in. It was gone.

"I hate magic" she whispered, stuffing the crystal in her pocket.

She turned her attention to the parchment once again, smiling at the wet letters. Sarah's name had been perfectly spelled, and the letters were perfectly drawn, unlike the rest of the message (the e's were backwards most of the time). He must have practiced writing her name a lot to get it like that. Maybe he hadn't deserted her after all. The warning certainly frightened her, but she couldn't keep her smile from spreading wider and wider with each passing second. She had actually talked to Hoggle again. Her heart lifted, this was exactly the inspiration she needed. Not for her new script, but for her life. The ink on the parchment was almost dry. She flattened the stiff paper as best she could, worried that it would be hard for him to write more if he needed. There wasn't much room on the bottom. He could fit maybe... three more words if he tried (considering how large his writing was).

The sound of snow underfoot caught her attention. She turned to see a small girl with glowing red hair approaching. She had pale white skin that contrasted against the tight red curls that flopped and cascaded down her shoulders. Her cheeks were taunt, and dusted with freckles, and her small upturned nose carried a pink tinge. Her small red lips were pressed together, and everything about her seemed to sparkle. Her eyes were a piercing green and she had a gaze that seemed to shoot right to Sarah's soul, seeing everything. She wore a short, flowing, orange, iredesent dress that sparked, twitched and shivered with every step she took.

This girl screamed of magic.

Her feet were bare and the snow that she stepped on crunched with a familiar sound before melting with a hiss. The path she had walked was clearly marked by the green wet grass. Sarah noted silently that she had come from the small gathering of trees not too far off.

Sarah's eyes again locked on the young girls face. She was breathtaking, and Sarah knew what she was.

A Fire Sprite. The very same type of Siren that tried to woo her from her quest and join them in song and dance. Sarah shivered at the memory. Not that these creatures were evil in any way. They believed that what they did was right, they just wanted to have fun, and they loved new friends. This girl looked to be about Toby's age, but she held the grace of a goddess, who knew how old she really was.

Suddenly the girl stopped. She was only a couple of feet from Sarah, staring straight into her eyes. Sarah tried to look away, but the eagle gaze of the little girl drew her in.

"Are you the friend? Are you the Lady Sarah?" Her cherry lips seemed to sing the words, forming decadent shapes, and the sound of her voice felt like honey in Sarah's ears. A row of chills spilled over Sarah's spine and the hand holding the parchment shook slightly.

"Who wants to know?" Sarah said shakily. She could hear the fear and uneasiness in her own voice. She willed her self to be calm. She folded the parchment and put it in her pocket.

"I have message for Lady Sarah, the friend. I have message from noble knight." Her eyes darted to a long piece of folded parchment that her dainty little hand held.

"But message is for the friend Lady Sarah, and no one else." She repeated.

Sarah wet her lips.

"Noble Knight?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes, noble knight speaks our language well, he is brother to our people, and protector."

"Brother?" Sarah tasted the word, "Sir Didymus?"

The little girl stayed silent.

Sarah sighed.

"Yes, I am the lady Sarah" she said, "I will receive the message..."

The Fire Sprite's perfectly silken hand, which carried the message, lifted, offering her the parchment.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hoggle peered around the door as he opened it. The vast library smelt of dust and smoke. There were book cases that reached toward the heaven and were covered in every sort of book imaginable. Stacks of books were scattered around the room, and some books lay open on the various tables and chairs.

The tall windows were covered with heavy, dusty drapes, which allowed the library a dark setting. A small set of candles sitting on a very small desk was the only sort of light source. The light they cast made it seem as though they were in some sort of cave.

A slim figure stood, head hunched, over the same small desk. He was wearing his ordinary gray, tight, trousers, and a billowy poets shirt. His champagne hair hung in a disarray over the desk, and his chest heaved with troubled sighs. The light that came from the candles danced in his hair, making it seem his head was on fire.

Hoggle glanced over toward a withered looking female dwarf who was small even for her species. Her face was set in a scared frown and her hands were wringing themselves together. She kept taking glances from the king, back over to Hoggle, as if either of them might come after her at any minute.

'Gressin,' Hoggle confirmed in his mind, 'Don't like it when 'e yells at Gressin.'

Hoggle gave Gressin a small wave and a smile for reassurance. She returned the smile hastily, and coughed into her hand.

The king's head whipped up to stare at them both. The candles' light danced on his finely sculpted face. He had worry lines between his brows, and there were small circles under his eyes. He closed a book on the table that Hoggle hadn't noticed before, and sighed.

Running his fingers through his hair, he let out another breath and stared at his subjects.

His face looked angry, as if he might send them both straight to the bog for just being alive.

"Gressin" He said. Hoggle cringed and then straightened. He was expecting the booming voice of an angry king, but now he had the voice of a very tired man, who had seen too much trouble.

"Gressin, I think that you should get to work on the assignments I have set out for you. Higbet and I have something we need to discuss."

Hoggle started to correct the kings mistake, but stopped himself as Gressin interrupted him.

"Y-yes, M'lord" Gressin stuttered, obviously relieved that there wasn't going to be anymore shouting. She made a quick clumsy curtsy, and gave Hoggle another worried smile before she rushed out the door.

"So Houglebrains, I've seen you've been busy with some friends of yours." the king drawled, after the sound of the door echoed throughout the room. He was obviously distracted by something besides Hoggle's antics.

"Urhm, it's Hoggle," He said quietly, and quickly added, "Yer Majesty." before the king noticed his nervousness.

"Whatever," The goblin king waved a dismissive hand, "You've found yourself some trouble nonetheless."

"Look, Yer Majesty, It ain't what it seemed. I wuz jus-"

The king slammed his fist down on the small desk, issuing a loud smack.

"I don't want to hear excuses." the king said angrily, "I just want to know what drove you to do such a disgusting thing like that."

"Erm,... Digusting, Yer majesty?"

"Yes Disgusting!" The king snapped, "What else would you call those repulsive mounds you've built around the walls."

The mud piles, he was worried about his hobby. Hoggle heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't know about Sarah or the Fairies. Or even the little object he was keeping in his pocket. If the king found out about that, all hell would break loose. Hoggle patted the weight in his pocket again, to assure himself that it was there.

"Well, don't chu worry Yer Highnus, I'll gets right to cleaning those up."

"No Hyggit," The king said maliciously, "I have something better planned... on second thought, You can clean up those nasty mounds after we're done with this. As added punishment." He waggled his finger.

"U-r-g..." Hoggle stuttered nervously, "and what sort'o punishment, am I ta get Yer Majusty?"

"Oh, Hogwart," The king laughed. He flicked his fingers and a small clear crystal appeared in Hoggle's hands, "I need to talk to someone, and you're going to help me." He came close to Hoggle and prodded a finger at his chest.

"Sarah? No, I wonts do it!" Hoggle threw the crystal on the floor and it clunked away uselessly.

"Sarah? No no no, of course not, you bumbling idiot!" He ran his fingers threw his hair, and looked even more tired, "What would give you a silly idea like that Hogbiggle?"

"Well, you've been-"

"I've been what Hoggle!?" The king asked imploringly.

"Er, nothing Yer majesty" He said finally, surprised that the king actually got his name right. He left it at that, deciding not to get himself into more trouble.

The king sighed again, he stooped to pick up the crystal, allowing himself more time. His voice returned to the dry tired state it once was.

"And If you **must** know, his name is Kinir, and we've got some unfinished business" the king idlily twirled the crystal ball around his fingers and added, "besides, It's been a while since our last visit and we didn't exactly leave on friendly terms."

With a final look at Hoggle, Jareth tossed the crystal high into the air, and it exploded with a small pop.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0

**Don't kill me! I like cliffhangers too much!**

**I know that there isn't S/J fluff anywhere yet and a few of you are getting kind of ticked, but hang in there! **

**Its going to be a long ride yet!**

**As always read and review, I love hearing your thoughts!**

**Love**

**-S'S**


	7. Chapter 7: Don't Complicate Things

**Notwritten: Thanks so much for your encouragement. I'm updating as fast as I can! **

**Shadow-D'hampyr: (Holds you down, gags you and throws you down nearest oubliette... dusts off hands) that should do it... **

**Who's saying that Jareth doesn't already know about dear Sarah's new labyrinth work? Hehehe... **

**And Who said Kinir would be interested in Sarah and not another figure of beauty eh? Eh? I bet you can guess who m'dear! (waggles eyebrows).. I mean the king is a figure of beauty himself! ... just kidding... maybe... **

**We need to find a way to stop your horrible plot ruining comments! ... just jokin' , you're fine!...**

**Flame Wightstar: Sorry about the wait. I know its hard to keep up when I abandon you guys! Thanks for sticking with me though!**

**LadyoftheLabyrinth: What happens later?! Thats what you read the story for m'dear! Wicked Wicked way? Oh ho ho my dear! If you only knew who the wicked one was! I've got a beta (editor of sorts) outside of thats helping me right now, so thanks for the offer...but no thanks. **

**Honey, she decided to do the sequel because it didn't seem dangerous, and she needed some sort of work to do. Plus she had no reason to believe that any of her friends from the labyrinth would try to contact her again... Also... Kinir is a character that you will find out about soon enough... We get a very long talk with him in this chapter. So, hold your horses! **

**BONUS: (RINGING BELL!) Congratulations! This chapter contains a completely naked HOT VAMPIRE-LIKE FAE! YAY! (nothing beyond pg-13 for this chapter, don't worry)**

**It's for you guys that reviewed... you all deserve it! The more of you that review (and I mean more than a sentence or just a question!) the more inclined I will be to reward you! (giggles) Say with... Jareth-y goodness? **

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot line and the new characters... Like Kinir and the Fire Sprites. ...unfortunatly... BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE MY NAKED HANDSOME FAE AWAY FROM ME! (cries)... **

**Chapter 7**

"**Don't complicate things"**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hoggle stared expectantly up at the high ceiling were the crystal once was. A small amount of glitter and a single crimson feather slowly drifted downward.

"Dats it?" Hoggle asked, eying the feather as it made its way down, "Wuz it suppozed ter do summthin'?"

The king's face held a look of utter boredom and his eyes followed the feather.

"No Heggie, I just like the sound it makes," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Hoggle looked at him, not quite understanding.

"**OF COURSE** it's supposed to do something, you idiot. Now have patience!" His eyes darted to Hoggle for a minute to make sure he stayed quiet, then settled again to the feather. It was nearing the ground now.

Hoggle watched nervously as the scarlet feather gently landed.

"Thats it?" He said, eying the feather again, "I thought dat-"

Suddenly a large flash of light filled the room. It was like the sun itself was in the library with the King and the Dwarf. Hoggle tried to breathe in, but quickly realized that he couldn't. Air seemed thicker than concrete. His eyes grew, again and again his mouth opened and closed. His lips made small smacking sounds, and shaped into a perfect "O." He looked like a fish out of water. Unable to draw breath, he reached for his neck scraping with his nails as if someone were straggling him. Hoggle's eyes were watering and his knees were knocking together.

This was obviously hurting the poor creature.

The Goblin King's silhouette emerged from the glowing light. He walked up to Hoggle with a bored look on his face.

"Sorry little one." he said dryly, "You won't be able to breathe at all. It might hurt, but it's needed to complete this spell."

The Goblin King bent, reached out and touched Hoggle in between his eyes. Hoggle started to twitch violently, his skin became chilled and goosebumps emerged. The Goblin King muttered a word underneath his breath...

As quickly as it had come, the light stopped. Hoggle slumped to the ground, lifeless. Jareth stood up straight and stared at Hoggle's limp form. The Dwarf showed no signs of life, obviously dead.

Looking at Hoggle, he waited.

...

And waited.

...

"Well that's peculiar." Jareth said to no one in particular, a frown forming on his face. "I thought for sure that-"

"Looking for something?" A man's voice said right next to his ear.

Without flinching, Jareth turned around to see a man who was completely naked save for a simple silver chain around his neck. His long hair matched Jareth's in style, but certainly not in color. Instead of blond, his hair was a dark midnight black. The small glow from the candle made his hair look a dark blue. He also had mismatched eyes, but these glowed in bright red and orange, making him look like a predator. His white pasty skin and sweeping black eyebrows, added to his vampire-like look. He was sturdier in build than Jareth, but held the same fae grace. He would be able to send any mortal human running with one look. His eyes never left the Goblin King's face.

"Long time no-see ... little brother." The man called Kinir said slowly, "It was nice of you to bring me here, but can you make it less painful next time?"

"Can't, it wouldn't work." The Goblin King said quickly, then added, "And I see you've gotten better at cloaking yourself...I didn't even feel your presence..."

"Ah.. yes..." The man said absentmindedly, "You were always better at magic than me," he fingered the chain, "But when one spends all of his time alone, one learns a thing or two he didn't know before."

Jareth watched the man walk over to the desk and eye the book that Jareth had been looking at earlier. He picked it up, raised his eyebrows at Jareth and sat down in the chair, idly flipping through the pages.

"Pretty heavy reading for a king with no worries, Jareth..." Kinir said sarcastically.

"I think you know why I've brought you here, Kinir, I-"

"There are a great many reasons you could have brought me here for brother, the question is: Which one?" Kinir raised his eyebrows again in emphasis.

"Brother I-"

"Or is it all of them? Do you need my help that badly Jareth?" He slammed the book closed and plopped it back onto the desk. "Sad, Sad, little brother." He taunted.

Jareth didn't let the teasing get to him, he had grown up with this, he was used to it. He simply stared at Kinir waiting for him to finish.

"MMMHhhh, It feels good to be out in the open again..." Kinir said.

Kinir stretched His arms over his head flexing his shoulder muscles. He yawned in a dramatic way.

"Did you know brother," He said slowly, making a show of his stretches, "That it has been almost a hundred years since we last saw each other?" He leaned back in the chair and placed his feet on the desk in a very Jareth-like pose, obviously not embarrassed by his nakedness.

Jareth walked over to the window and opened the curtains slightly, letting in some of the sunlight. He squinted against the new form of harsh light.

"It's day?" Jareth said to himself, "Gods, how long have I been in here?"

Kinir pretended he didn't hear that, and waited for the King to look at him. Jareth, hands clasped behind his back, walked over to the desk and stared at his brother.

When it was obvious that the Goblin King wasn't going to answer his rhetorical question, Kinir continued.

"And in all those years you never once managed a 'hello'..." He smirked, "Not a very respectful little brother are you?"

Kinir let his fingers drum on the arm of the chair. All the while he gave his brother a very lofty stare.

Jareth knew that Kinir wanted him to take the bait. And It took all of his will not to be annoyed by his brother. It took patience to deal with Fae like him, and patience was something that the Goblin King didn't have much of.

"And I needed a 'hello' brother..." He said pitifully, "because conversation often runs dry when one only gets to talk with one's self." Kinir stuck out his lower lip a little in mock sadness. The face quickly broke and he let loose a hearty laugh.

"Actually, I think its driven me quite mad." He said between his laughter.

"No brother," the King said at last, taking the bait, "you were always mad..."

"AH! He speaks again!" He poked, "The High and mighty king does me a great honor!" His voice was extremely sarcastic. The hand that had been drumming the chair's arm, made a quick mock bow before returning to its former rhythm.

Another blow of laughter broke from his lips.

Jareth's face stayed stern and solemn. He usually laughed along with his brother, but this wasn't the time, and his brother knew that very well. He was growing tired of his brothers antics, this needed to end now.

"We need to talk." Jareth said, completely ignoring his brothers fit of giggles.

"Talk?" Kinir asked sarcastically, "Isn't that what we're doing, brother? Talking?"

He gave Jareth a wink before continuing, "Just like Family should!"

Jareth gave a short snort at that. Family indeed, his brother was the only real family he had ever known. His mother and father seemed to enjoy being distanced from their children, such was the way of the Fae.

The king continued on, hoping that his brother's laughter would die down soon.

"It's about my Queen." Jareth said quietly.

Kinir's laughter died completely.

"Good heaven's Jareth." Kinir stuttered, genuinely shocked, "I didn't know you'd taken up a wife, I thought that after the girl that-"

"I haven't." The Goblin King said loudly, trying not to seem emotional, "That's the predicament..."

"Oh," Kinir said, "Oh, ho ho!" He gained a smile again, "The old bag's curse, eh?"

He motioned his head to the book he had laid on the desk, "that's easily solved Jareth. We'll find you a girl, a young one. A nice pretty one."

Kinir raised his hands up to his chest and emphasized "pretty" by squeezing imaginary breasts.

"Theres more to being queen than being handsome of face, Kinir." Jareth said with purpose, refusing to smile at his brothers crude remarks.

"Some would argue otherwise," Kinir said under his breath, with a smirk.

"What I really need, is a replacement." Jareth gave Kinir a serious look.

"Don't be an idiot brother, that would only happen if you killed yourself..." Kinir gave a little chuckle a looked back to Jareth, "And we both know that's imposs-"

Seeing the look in Jareth's eyes stopped Kinir's mouth.

"Good Heavens!" He said loudly, jumping from his position to face the Goblin King, "You're serious? Tilinth'na Joab?!"

Kinir spoke the last two words in High Fae, a language that Jareth wasn't fond of. His words were more of swearing anyway. Something like "Are you an idiot?"

Trying to ignore his brother's words, Jareth turned to Kinir and said, "I'm perfectly serious, and I need you to replace me."

"No way in hell." Kinir said with passion, "I won't let you do this to us."

"Theres no other way feasible to break the curse, Kinir"

"Yes there is, Jareth," Kinir said with purpose, "It's called get-ting mar-ried! I mean, Gods Jareth, I've heard of Fae men being scared of commitment, but this is insane! Theres even that girl that keeps chasing you around... Whats her name, ...Marino, ...Maria?..."

"I can't get married, Kinir" Jareth tossed him a crystal.

Kinir caught it with ease and peered into it. A beautiful woman reading a letter was pictured. She had fierce Hazel eyes, and flowing brown hair.

"You can't be serious Jareth," Kinir said when he was done inspecting the crystal, "You're still in love with her?"

"Yes," Jareth said quietly, "and that would void any marriage dealing with the curse."

Kinir laughed quietly, "Then I guess you are in a predicament, aren't you?"

"Very much so."

"Mostly because I can't help you."

Jareth's face turned angry, "You would be so selfish brother?"

"No." He said, "You would die for yours, and I would be alone for mine. I won't let her die. I've promised."

"And you would let millions more die, including the one you have promised?"

"Simply because I can't Jareth. You know I can't..."

Jareth did not understand his brother. He was sentenced for something he did not commit, and he took the punishment only because it would keep him close to someone. He had helped his brother plead guilty, and had made sure that his punishment was for eternity. Everyday his brother must submit to torture, confinement, and horrendous acts.

'And Kinir does it so that someone won't be alone, even though Kinir is.' Jareth thought, 'What a fickle thing love is...'

"Well then," Jareth said, leaving the subject, "My little Sarah has been up to some trouble lately."

Glad for the change of subject, Kinir gained his joyous smile readily, "Oh really? Has she been a naughty girl?"

"Quite..." Jareth said with a chuckle, "Shes triggered the curses I laid out quite a few years ago. She must be up to something."

"You laid out curses?" Kinir questioned with a smirk, "I'd heard you'd been sour when she left your trousers in a knot, ...but you dropped curses?"

"Yes," Jareth said with a smile, "Hefty ones at that."

"oh ho ho! That's rich!" Kinir smiled, "I bet contacting her old friends would trigger a whole batch of them."

"Of course it w-" Jareth stopped short, "Shes contacting her friends?"

"Yes," Kinir said uneasily, "I thought you knew. I mean, her Dwarf friend's body was a dead giveaway." He motioned to Hoggle laying still on the floor. "And I'm standing in front of you, out of my prison."

"That was simply to bring you here, and to stop his grotesque hobby of piling slime. The stupid mounds were messing with the Labyrinth protection spells."

Kinir chuckled, "Knowing Hoggle, and knowing what he does, I'm almost sure hes contacted her."

Jareth looked inqusitive, "Almost sure?"

"Fine, I'm positive." Kinir shrugged, "Its hard not knowing what hes doing... I mean, where I am and all..."

"Yes..." Jareth said, "Well, this brings up a whole new set of problems."

"Of course it does," Kinir said casually, "Thats what I thought you brought me here for."

"What I don't get is how he did it without me even sensing them..."

"Good Gods, he's finally catching on!" said Kinir in mock surprise.

"What do you mean."

"I'll show you," Kinir Said. He headed towards Hoggle's body, bending down he reached for the pocket in the Dwarf's pants. Stopping short he turned to Jareth.

"You do it." he said with finality, "I've forgotten that I can't touch... certain things."

"Fine," Jareth said, "Where do you want me to look."

"The pocket in his pants, the right one." Kinir said, while eying Hoggle's bag of jewels, "Your collection has grown, old friend. I'm impressed!... oh... oh my! Is that plastic?" He was staring at the bracelet on Hoggle's left wrist intently now, "Oh you lucky little devil..."

Jareth bent and reached into the pocket, ignoring his brothers antics. Kinir and Hoggle had been good friends once, and both shared the love of all things that sparkled. What bothered Jareth the most was not that Kinir was conversing with an old friend, but that Kinir was talking to him as if he was alive.

Jareth shuddered.

Fumbling in the Dwarf's pocket he came upon something that shocked his fingers. He pulled his hand out quickly before giving his brother a look, and reaching back in again. He was prepared this time and grasped a small round object. The feeling was like a small electrical shock. It ran up his entire arm and felt as if it would separate his arm from his torso. It wasn't painful per-se. It was more like a unbearable vibrating that was juggling his insides.

Jareth winced and pulled out the small object slowly. He looked at it and his eyes widened.

"Oh my.." Jareth said, "This explains a lot of things... But how did you-?"

"I told you I had a lot of time to myself."

"No..." Jareth said in disbelief, "You can 'See' now?"

"I thought you'd be impressed. I did have almost a century to myself to figure it out." Kinir said with a smile.

Jareth pocketed the object, glad to be free of it's effects.

"Let's get you some attire Kinir, and we can talk some more about this certain twist of plot."

"Aw." Kinir stuck out his lower lip again, followed by a smile, "But the breeze has felt so nice." Kinir got up and started to walk briskly around the room. These sort of actions were normal of Kinir so Jareth wasn't surprised. Any other Fae would be greatly embarrassed by the things his fast walk was doing.

"Kinir" Jareth said with patience, "please... I'm very tired..."

Kinir stopped and turned to smile at his brother. "Does this mean that I am a guest."

"Most certainly."

"Well, great!" Kinir said, "Call me William around others, we don't want any confusion."

They started to walk out of the room when Kinir stopped them short.

"Shouldn't we do something about-" he motioned to Hoggle's body.

"Don't worry," Jareth said, "I'll take care of it."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**OH OH OH! How I love plot twists! Sorry, no Sarah this week. I thought I'd lead you on a bit with some naked fae! **

**What was that shocking (pun intended) object? **

**WHY, OH WHY is Hoggle dead? **

**Who the hell did Kinir go to a prison for? **

**What were the curses? **

**Why the name William?**

**What the fuck is Sarah up to now? **

**How does Kinir "see"? **

**How does Kinir know so much when hes been away with no one to talk to for almost a hundred years? **

**AND Most importantly, WHY IS HE NAKED?(yes there actually is an answer)... **

**Tune in next time guys!**

**Hope you liked it, keep the reviews coming! Love you all **

**R&R please!**

**-S'S**

P.S. I am having a vote... If you write more than 3 sentences in your review you get to participate in the vote! Only one vote per user please!

Should there be a shirtless Jareth in the next chapter?

If yes, put the word "sexy" somewhere in your review

If no, put the word "Crazy" somewhere in your review...which means you get more naked Kinir...

and if you want both put the words "Holy Crap" somewhere in your review!

love you all!


	8. Chapter 8: Old Memories and Old Friends

**Welllllll... **

**It looks like the FEW OF YOU THAT DID REVIEW liked Mr. Kinir... I wasn't sure if you guys would, but I know I certainly enjoyed him. Most of you voted "Holy crap"... in fact... a total of two voted... ... (sad face)... :(**

**But since they were so awesome, and have been so loyal, I've given them what they've really wanted... **

**Naked Jareth. **

**(Tries to control the screaming crowd) **

**Know that this is for those three measly reviews that I got...because those people rock... and all of you that didn't review... you suck... **

**(all but three people start crying)**

**but If you review this time... a real review, not some sissy small thing...you will officially rock...**

**(lots of people cry out with joy, realizing that they can, indeed, make a real review!)**

**I know a lot more people out there read this, I get a lot of views and a lot of subscribers,... but I only get three reviews? Com'on you guys! Starving artist here! (points to self) Your appreciation, and comments are my bread and butter!**

**I hate to review count, but this really puts a damper on my muse... **

**Luckily enough, I had already written roughs for this chapter...so this wasn't too hard... **

**Its pretty long compared to my other chapters and hopefully that will inspire people to review... **

**keeping my fingers crossed...**

**I might have to start review counting for the next chapter (you know, where I dangle bait in front of your nose and say, "you have to give me at least 20 reviews or the next chapter ain't coming!")**

**I'd hate to do that... **

**please don't make me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything... Jim Henson's Company and his son does... (may Jim's genius soul rest in piece)... If I get enough money to buy the company out... you'll be the first to know... **

**0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o**

**Chapter 8**

"**Old Memories and Old Friends"**

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sarah took the letter from the girls hand, barely able to breathe. The girl tilted her head slightly before motioning that Sarah should open the parchment. Sarah looked away from the girl and noticed a large red wax seal keeping the message closed. Sarah ran her fingers along the Small "D" that was imprinted in the wax, before looking at the girl again.

She was gone.

Sarah whipped her head around, looking for the Fire Sprite, but she didn't find her. The only sign that she had ever been there was the long path of bright wet grass that trailed back to a gathering of trees.

"Hello?" Sarah said to no one in particular, not really expecting an answer.

She inched her finger around the seal again.

Sarah sighed and decided that it was better if she opened the letter at her house. So she would have somewhere to sit, and think about the current events.

"Better not to rush things..."

She tucked the message into the same pocket that held Hoggle's note to her.

She pulled the collar of her coat up around her neck, tugging it up as far as it would go. It was late in the afternoon now, though the sun didn't show. And Sarah knew that her family would be waiting for her to get back from her walk anyway.

0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sarah stepped into the house from the raging blizzard. The wind had picked up on the way home and seemed intent on sweeping her off her feet. Large clumps of snow clung to her hair, which was hanging in disarray in front of her face. Struggling slightly, she pushed the door closed with a loud click. She stomped the snow from her boots and rubbed her now gloved hands over her arms.

'Good thing I always keep a pair of spare leather gloves' Sarah thought to herself, 'Though I don't like wearing them much, Remind me to much of...'

Her thoughts trailed as she tore the gloves from her hands as fast as she could, and started to unlace her boots.

Karen came down the hallway toward Sarah. She was still wearing that damned necklace, and still had a silly grin on her face. She was wearing a rather old apron that once belonged to Sarah's late mother. Karen seemed to like wearing Josie's things. It made her feel more like Richard's wife.

"Sarah?" She said sweetly, "Its almost four, where have you been?"

Sarah was unbuttoning her coat and didn't look at Karen when she replied.

"I told you I was going out for a walk, inspiration and what-not."

"Yes, but you've been gone for a couple of hours now..." she stopped, "Inspiration?" Karen asked, "For what?"

"I told you Jim called, right?"

"Yeeesss?" Karen said slowly, waiting for the juicy part.

Sarah gave her a look before continuing.

"Well, he convinced me to do a sequel..."

"What?" Karen's eyes went wide.

Sarah waited for more of a reaction, and was surprised when she didn't get one.

"To the Labyrinth," Sarah added, not quite sure if Karen got what she was implying.

"Yes, I know what the sequel is for, but I didn't know you needed the money."

Sarah shook the coat over the welcome mat, trying to get the dripping snow from the crevices.

"Money, Karen?" Sarah said, "I don't need money, I'm set for life."

'But that's all that ever matters to you, isn't it Karen?' Sarah seethed to herself.

"So this is just for giggles then?"

"..More like _shits_ and giggles..." Sarah said under her breath.

Karen had obviously heard her but didn't reply.

'Must be mulling over the idea of me doubling my finances.' Sarah mused.

Sarah hung the coat on rack and carried her boots over to Karen.

"Would you mind putting those in front of the fire for me? To dry them off... I assumed you had one going with the weather and all." Sarah said, offering the boots to Karen.

Karen wiped her hands absentmindedly on the apron before taking the boots and quietly replying, "Sure thing Sweetie."

Sarah watched Karen turn and head towards the living room when she suddenly remembered her reason for rushing home.

"Karen?" She asked suddenly.

Karen turned to Sarah and gave her a look, "Yes?"

"When is dinner going to be ready?" She asked kindly, "I need some time in my room to myself..." she realized how suspicious that sounded and quickly added, "...to start working on good ol' Labyrinth number two... you know... brainstorming and all that..."

She had sounded rushed but hoped that it would suffice.

"Of course Sweetie." Karen smiled, "The ham and duck will both be ready in about two hours, if you get some extra time I'll need a hand with dessert."

Sarah smiled, realizing that Karen was trying to be nice. You could tell between genuine effort and fake love when it came to Karen.

"If I get writer's block, I'll come straight down." She assured her.

Karen nodded and disappeared into the living room. As soon as Karen was gone from sight, Sarah dashed to her coat that was hanging from the rack and pulled out the crystal, the note, and the message.

She pulled all of the items close to her chest, ignoring the tingling feeling coming from the crystal and ran up the stairs.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah sat in front of her vanity. She had checked the lock on the door and the window, before placing all of the items on the painted surface. She had also left the notebook from earlier on her vanity not daring to touch it again. She looked at the sad looking rubber chicken that was laying next to her array of Christmas gifts on her bed, its tiny painted face staring up at her. On instinct she picked it up and gave it a squeeze. The small high-pitched groan it let out was somehow stress relieving. With the chicken in one hand, she picked up the parchment from Sir Didymus and popped open the seal.

_My Dearest Lady Sarah,_

_It has been too long since I have last seen and talked to thee. Both I, my steed, and my Brother Ludo have missed thee greatly. I have not been able to contact thee until now. In the time that thy companionship has been absent, I have been able to become a part of the Fire Sprite people. They are a most excitable group and are my dear friends._

_ Brother Ludo has been led charge of the Nectareous Bog, with I as his overseer. I am saddened to report that Brother Ludo continues to have phantom stench-like smells when we are on duty, but I plan to have him at an apothecary as soon as possible. _

_I am writing to inform you that there are matters of the heart and mind which are putting you in danger. My lady must be careful. Though I do not know how, a series of powerful curses have been placed upon you and have already begun to unravel. Though I do not know what these curses will bring upon you it is best to stay away from mirrors, as they seem to be a key part in the spells. _

_ The Goblin King has been enraged and I suspect that My lady is involved. There is also an ancient curse that His Majesty himself has seemed to have triggered. I fear for my King's life as well. He talks nothing but of a girl (he will not name her), he is turning himself mad. _

_Things have also begun that are beyond normal comprehension. I will not detail further for fear of destruction. _

_I must warn you Lady Sarah: Do not make wishes. Do not call upon us. Do not approach mirrors or reflective surfaces unless they be covered. Do not tell anyone of what thy knows. Do not continue to anger the King. Most of all, I beg of thee, do not call upon the Mighty King, Heaven knows what he might try to do to thee in his present state. _

_ I Apologize for the contents of this letter,_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Sir Didymus of the Royal Crown_

_ and Sir Ludo of the Brothers in Arms_

_ P.S. Sir Ludo Sends his warmest Greetings._

Sarah read, and re-read the letter. It became more confusing every time...

Squeezing the rubber chicken rather impatiently, she tucked all of the items into the drawer on her vanity. She proceeded to squeeze the poor thing over and over again, staring at herself in the mirror.

'Okay,' She thought to herself, 'Curses have been triggered... well,... fuck... '

Putting the chicken down she plopped her head into her hands and stared at her tired looking face. Suddenly realizing that she was very close to a very reflective surface, she jumped. She quickly grabbed one of the old runner quilts from the end of her bed and tossed it over the vanity mirror. It looked quite silly, and she felt a little stupid for not realizing that there was a mirror there sooner. She had been way too distracted with everything that had happened today.

She berated herself and picked up the rubber chicken again, running the contents of the letter through her mind.

Running her free hand through her hair, she let out a final sigh before Karen's voice rang throughout the hallways.

"Sa-rah!" She bellowed, her voice sounding desperate, "If it's not too much trouble, I could use an extra hand!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kinir hated clothing.

Really.

Plain and simple.

"I hate clothing." he repeated to himself with finality.

He had been standing there naked, staring into the wardrobe, for very long time now and he still didn't know what he wanted to wear. Nearly 50 complete sets of tunics, suits, and formal attire lined the inside of the cherry wood structure, creating a rainbow of colors and textures.

Centuries he had been without any form of attire, and now clothing seemed like a complete waste of time.

He turned to the floor length mirror that Jareth had provided for him in his room. Staring at himself he loudly proclaimed, "Who would want to cover this magnificent body!"

He ran his fingers through his hair slowly, and sighed, keeping his eyes on the naked reflection in the mirror.

"It has been too long gorgeous!" He finally said to himself, "How long has it been since you've been able to look at yourself in a mirror and admire what-..."

... mirror...

"Wait-" He said to himself, his panic rising, "W-What in Hell's name is he thinking?!" He shouted.

Fear rising in the pit of his stomach he backed away slowly from the mirror, poised at any moment for an untold danger.

He stopped when his knees hit the edge of the large cherry wood bed and awoke him from his thoughts. Jareth must have put a Protection spell on it somewhere. Yes... Jareth wasn't a complete idiot.

"That's it" he said victoriously, and he walked toward the mirror again.

He stared at it intently.

Placing his hand on the surface cautiously, he closed his eyes.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

He sensed no sort of Protection or Ward spell.

His brother must have done something to protect it, him, and everything.

But there was nothing.

Kinir started to search frantically across the mirror for any visible sign of a spell. A marking, some glitter, a jewel, ...anything!

He was in the middle of searching the lower part of the mirror when there was a knock on the door.

"Sir William? I've broughts some things from da Kings sir. Tis a gifts 'e says." The small female voice was familiar, but Kinir couldn't quite place it.

He stood up straight to answer.

"William? There is no-" he stopped short and cursed himself for forgetting, "Of course, just bring them in..." He bent down again to search the lower frame of the mirror.

Kinir heard the door creak open and a small voice squeek.

"Sirs, I-I'm... s-sorry...I ams.." She stuttered.

He stood up and turned to her. It was a Dwarf, and a small one at that. Her hair was dirty blond and was tied down in a messy bun. Her simple clothes were worn, tattered, and soiled. Her skirt was hitched up on one side to make it easier to walk and work. It was obvious that this Dwarf was a maid or personal servant. Her leathery face was pointed directly toward her small slippered feet. Her hands twitched nervously at her side and redness had crept into her entire face. Her green eyes were freshly red from crying.

Kinir made his way to the small creature, recognition written clearly on his face.

"Gressin," He said, his voice kind and gentle, "You look a mess...What the heaven's could be wrong? You look scared out of your wits!"

"Sir..." She gulped, tried to find her voice and started again, "Sir Williams is without any clothin', sirs."

Kinir looked at her a moment and then looked down at himself.

"Ah... yes." He said, seething, "Clothing."

'She must have caught an eyeful when she came in, poor girl.' He thought silently to himself.

"Look, Gressin." He said, trying to look her in the eyes and finding it impossible, "I can't seem to decide what to wear... I'm dreadful with colors. Would you mind choosing something for me?"

Her eyes flicked to the open wardrobe and then back to her feet.

"Yesir..." She said quietly and made her way over to the wardrobe.

"Thank you, dear girl." He gave her back a caring smile and sat down on the green sheeted bed to wait.

"Williams, sir?" She said as her hands sorted through the hanging articles.

"Yes Gressin?" Kinir suddenly wished that he had thought of a better name than William. It just didn't seem to fit...

"How do ya knows Gressin's name sir?" Her voice was stuttering and she paused in her searching.

"Thats easy, dear girl, you told me." He smiled.

"No sirs, if ya'd excuse me, I didn't." She pressed her hands together in nervousness. Her back still facing Kinir in refusal to look at him.

Kinir frowned, 'Well this is a predicament.'

Deciding to tell her some truth, he cleared his throat, "We knew each other once Gressin. A very long time ago."

"I remebas everyone I meets sir... And I ain't never met no Williams. 'cept a girl once...she defeated... we don'ts talk 'bout it 'ere" Her hands started their work again and began to pull articles from the wardrobe and place them on the chair near the mirror.

"I'm William. Not Williams." He corrected, "Sometimes we forget faces and names, Gressin."

"No sir." She said, "I ain't never forgot one name. I ain't never forgot one face." She finished her work and closed the wardrobe.

"I never said it would be on purpose that we forget, Gressin. Or the ability of our memory would be to blame."

Gressin looked him in the eye for a quick moment.

"Sir, I-" She stopped, pain on her face and a crimson blush, "I ain't rememba nothin'."

She lowered her head again, and gestured toward the clothing draped over the chair.

"I am done sirs."

"Thank you Gressin."

She nodded, obviously still a little disturbed by the fact that this man knew her name, and that he was completely naked.

Kinir looked at the outfit she had prepared and smiled. A midnight black pair of tight trousers was matched with a poets shirt of the same color. She also had laid out a rather dashing dark red leather vest, and sash belt. A pair of red trimmed leather boots lay near the chair as well.

'Even if the girl doesn't remember me, at least she remembers my tastes' He noted happily.

"Gressin," he said as he was getting dressed.

"Yesir?"

"I have a rather important question."

"Yesir."

Gressin was able to look at him now because he had managed to get his trousers on and was proceeding to pull the shirt over his head.

"That mirror over there." His head was still covered by the shirt he was pulling on, so he gestured rather awkwardly with his hand, "What in Hell's name is it doing here without any sort of Protection spell? Doesn't it seem a bit dangerous?"

"Mirror sir?" she questioned, "Oh, ya mean da Looking Glass!"

Kinir's shirt was on and he was buttoning up the vest, admiring the embroidery-like stitching as he was doing so. He watched the small Dwarf walk over to the "Looking Glass" and rap it with her knuckles.

A loud ring was emitted and for a moment the entire room was filled with a heavenly vibration, before she stopped it by placing her small hand flat against the reflective surface.

"Good heavens," Kinir whispered, his fingers had stopped in the middle of buttoning, "What was that?"

"Crystal, sir." She said proudly, "Made completely o' crystal. No danger. King 'vented 'em himself 'bout fifty years ago. Kings guests was complainin' 'bout how dey couldn't look at demselves."

Kinir had started buttoning again, and walked closer to the Looking Glass to fix the open collar of the shirt atop the vest.

"Crystal?" Kinir let out a low whistle, eying himself in the mirror, "Jareth always was one with expensive fancies. Must have cost him a fortune. How many of them did he get."

"Five of 'em, sir." she said, "One for ev'ry guest suite."

"Five?" Kinir asked, he had finished the vest and sash belt and was proceeding to put on the rather expensive looking boots, "That's a pretty penny, right there."

Finally done with his ensemble, Kinir stood in front of the mirror again to admire his work.

"You're amazing with colors, Gressin." He said flatteringly, "I could have never have picked out anything better."

"Matchin' yer eyes, dats all sirs."

Kinir smiled at her warmly, which she returned shyly.

"Now," Kinir said, "Where are these gifts you were supposed to bring me."

"Ah!" Gressin managed before darting toward the door yelling, "I lefts dem In da corridor,"

Opening the door, she quickly dashed out and retrieved a cart which held a very large, and heavy looking package. Kinir rushed to the heavy door and held it open for her so that it wouldn't crush the poor thing.

The brown-paper wrapped box was very large and very flat.

He closed the door and inspected it further.

'A painting,' Kinir assumed, 'That devil brother of mine couldn't have-'

He was jarred from his thoughts when a letter was thrust into his hands.

Gressin stood before him, and waited.

Kinir popped open the decorated seal on the envelope and extracted a very elegant looking piece of paper.

It read:

_Dearest Brother, _

_I hope you have found the accommodations favorable, as well as your new maid. Yes, Gressin is yours for your entire stay. I hope you will not drive her completely mad, and try to remember that you are not who you once were, and that she certainly won't remember anything. _

_I have brought you a painting that I know you have missed for quite sometime. It was never burned as you thought. What sort of brother would I be if I had let that happen?Don't be too cross with me, I know you need it. I have also retrieved your favorite piece of jewelry. Which, I am sure, also holds many memories. _

_Please do not disturb me until the morning, I have some matters I need to attend to concerning the curse. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ The Goblin King, Jareth_

Kinir lifted his eyes to stare at Gressin who was now holding a rather beautiful looking large ruby ring.

"You know you are my charge now?" He asked Gressin, taking the ring and twirling it between his fingers.

Gressin gave a small curtsy before replying, "Yesir."

"Cruel Bastard," He muttered, "Couldn't he have just dropped me in the dungeon?... much more comfortable there..."

Gressin gave him a curious look and asked, "Anything dat I can do fer ya, William sir?"

"Not really," He said sullenly, crumpling the letter in his hand and throwing it on the ground. He slipped the ring on his finger and stared into the crimson depths of the ruby.

"Den I wills take my leave."

"No." Kinir said sharply, obviously in a sour mood,

The scared look on Gressins face made him calm down.

"No, Gressin," He said gentler, "I would like some company if you don't mind. A little bit of conversation as well."

"A-ah." Gressin stuttered nervously, "Yesir."

Kinir sat down on the bed and patted a spot next to him. Gressin struggled a bit, but was able to sit next to him quite comfortably. She fiddled with her fingers and waited for him to talk.

"So Gressin," Kinir said casually, "How is dear old Hoggle these days?"

"Eh?" She lifted her dry red eyes to his and stared at him, shocked, "Yer Jokin'?"

"Of course not! I'm just curious."

"He's dead sirs!"she croaked.

"Dead?" He asked, "No he isn't. Why just this morning, I heard he and the fairies got themselves into some trouble piling up mud outside the Labyrinth walls! He certainly isn't dead."

"Yesir." She started to cry now, "I takes 'em from da Library dis aftanoon! Mi'lord told me ta prepare him for cremations! He ain't got no pulse!"

"Good Heavens," Kinir said calmly, "Believe me when I say that the king himself knows that Hoggle isn't dead, not completely anyway. And a pulse doesn't prove anything. I saw him in his unconscious state and managed to have a conversation with the little devil."

"You sure?" she asked, her eyes hopeful.

"Perfectly," Kinir responded, "And the only reason to have him cremated is if I'm staying for a very long time... forever actually... And if that's what the Goblin King has in mind, then he and I need to have a talk."

Gressin smiled at the reassuring words, still not believing him.

'My Brother may want to burn my way back. But that wouldn't be too much fun.' He thought.

"The King just likes to make things harder on everyone, Gressin," Kinir said distantly, giving her shoulder a little pat, "Thats the way he works."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah was full when she finally trudged her way into her room.

Completely stuffed she was, and it felt wonderful.

The duck and ham was enough to feed well more than the four people that attended dinner.

The light conversation wasn't enough to completely distract her from the issues at hand, but it helped to ease the stress a little.

Sarah glanced over to the vanity. The bright patchy quilt sat there innocently, draped over the mirror. She picked up the rubber chicken and started to squeeze it again.

"More like mirror of doom," she giggled.

Oh, she should not have had those three glasses of wine, her cheeks felt hot, and she couldn't exactly work out all the thoughts that were swimming around in her head.

"God," she whispered, "I need a fucking shower."

Giving the rubber chicken another final squeeze she wandered over to the small duffel bag that she had brought with her. She pulled out shampoo, and some toiletries, before walking out of her room.

Of course she failed to notice that by the edge of the quilt lay another piece of parchment, addressed to her... but not like the others had been. This one read:

"Dearest little Sarah, Defeater of my Labyrinth."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The small crystal was being twirled around his fingers on his right hand like second nature. The temptation was too much. He needed to see her, to see how she was handling everything, to see what she was doing. Yet he resisted with all of his might, because the need to see her was outweighed by the consequences that contacting her might cause.

Jareth tore his vision away from the crystal and laid his head on the back of the tub, closing his eyes. His hand still idly played with the crystal ball. His other hand came up and squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He admitted that the hot water from the bath had helped his uneasiness with current events, but it didn't make up for the sleep he desperately needed.

As he thought, Kinir's words came back to him.

"He'd kill millions for her," Jareth mumbled to himself, "He'd kill everyone,... for her...what an idiot... "

He ran the hand that had been on his nose through his hair.

"Yes," he said quietly, "but so would I..."

Drawing within himself, Jareth willed the crystal to disappear. At once the crystal vanished. He stared at the hand that had held it for a minute before letting it flop into the water.

For the last few hours he had tried to contact every sorcerer, sorceress, warlock, wizard, witch, medicine man, medicine woman, fortune teller, seer, or extremely gifted Fae, that he had ever known. Not one of them knew of a way to break the wretched curse. Some had told him that they would look into it, that these things couldn't be rushed. But God knew if he had time to search for answers. No one would be able to pin-point exactly when the effects of the curse would take place, only that it would happen soon.

He sat up slightly, allowing his arms to rest on the sides of the ivory vat.

'Curious,' Jareth mused, 'It's very similar to that darling little aboveground story, "Beauty and the Beast." Except, my Beauty hates me, and I have no rose to tell when my time will come.'

He rubbed his hands up and down his arms absentmindedly. Causing the hot water to cascade along his naked flesh.

'And there certainly isn't a beast on the outside,' He thought vainly, 'Only in my heart.'

A loud knock on the door broke him from his thoughts. Jareth was bathing in one of his personal tub, which was located in one of his master bedrooms. A small dressing screen separated him from the rest of the main room.

The knock came again, louder this time.

Jareth groaned and, opening his eyes, he sensed who was outside of the door.

'Oh dear Spirits help me!' He mentally screamed, 'Please, not her. Not now. Anyone but her. Just get her away.'

Jareth sank back into the tub as far as he could, staying silent, hoping that the woman would leave if no one answered.

The knocking came a third time. It was extremely loud and impatient.

"Your Majesty?" a sugary sweet voice called, "Those creatures told me that Your Royal Highness would be in this room this evening."

'Did they?' Jareth seethed to himself, 'Remind me which ones, because I think they've been smelling much too nice lately. I think a nice bath in the bog would do them good.'

"Jareth?" she said, dropping the title, "Please Jareth... I just came for a little visit, even though you said that you'd be busy with Kingly duties. Please, I'm so lonely in the Plains, I needed your company Jareth."

"Alice," The Goblin King said slowly, making sure that he sounded just as commanding as he did toward his goblins.

"Alice-Marina, Your Majesty." She corrected from outside of the door, obviously excited that he was talking to her,"My full first name is Alice-Marina."

"You would do well to recognize that correcting a King is very impolite!" Jareth bellowed, making sure that she would be frightened.

"Besides," He continued, "Your first name is Alice, so that is what I always call you by, and yet you always insist to add your second."

"Oh," The voice came, "But Alice is only what my mother and father called me by, and those who have courted me in the past as well. It's just so... intimate, Your Majesty."

Jareth saw what she was doing, and hated himself for falling for the small trap.

"I have always called you Alice, and always will, now-"

"Your Majesty is suggesting that we are in intimate courting terms?" Jareth could hear the gleeful triumph in her voice.

"Not at all, Alice," Jareth said, making sure that his voice didn't sound flustered, "We have known each for centuries, I am simply implying that we are close friends."

"Of course Your Majesty," Alice's reply came, obviously hinting that she didn't believe him.

"And a close friend would be invited into the room to converse, rather than treated like a stray dog," She replied.

Jareth could almost see her lower lip sticking out, and her eyelashes batting.

"Leave me be Alice." Jareth said sullenly, not having the patience, "I'm bathing."

"Oh!" She chirped, "Let me help you wash your back."

Jareth heard the door make several satisfying clicks, indicating that Alice wasn't able to enter the room, even though she was trying to.

"Alice," He said in a warning tone, "Leave me be."

"Fine!" She screamed.

The clicking on the door stopped, and the sound of shoes stomping down the hallway could be heard.

Jareth waited until the sound of her footsteps died before he started to get out of the tub. He shivered slightly as water dripped from his godly form. His feet made soft slapping sounds on the wood as he stepped from the vat.

He reached for the blue towel that was thrown over the top of the changing screen. Pulling the towel around his waist, he created a small covering for himself by tying it off. Then he walked around the dressing screen and pulled another towel from a folded pile to dry his hair with. This was Jareth's master bedroom. Well, One of seven, anyway. This room consisted of Blue's and Blacks complimenting each other so that the entire suite had a very lonely, and depressed feeling. Small white trims and accents were scattered throughout the bedroom's three rooms.

The candles which hung from the wall had all been lit. And the light glittered off of the Kings still wet skin. He fluffed his hair with the towel he had retrieved before throwing it uselessly on the ground.

Jareth walked over to his personal mirror. It was large and oval, made of silver and handmade venetian glass. The frame was made from a dark wood, and was very simplistic. Even though it looked simple, this mirror was beautiful. The last one of it's kind.

This was the last Mirror in all of the Labyrinth that was of Aboveground quality, and it had no Protection.

Running his ungloved right hand along the simple frame, he stared at himself as if something would appear in the mirror's depths. His sharp features were the only things that stared back.

"Gods Sarah..." He whispered, "Why don't you call me? Is it that hard for you, pet?"

Jareth gave the Mirror a final look before removing his towel and blowing out the candles.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**Well... There you guys go... **

**I know it was longer this time, and I'm hoping I'll be able to make every chapter this long. **

**I also hope you enjoyed the Naked Jareth scene... I know I did... **

**Even though an evil bitch had to ruin it.**

**After next week, the chapters will come about once every two weeks because of my schedule change. I'm going to get one more chapter out next week before the change; so don't think I've abandoned you when I get late again! I'm also hoping that every chapter will be this length or longer so that you guys get some hefty reading. :)**

**I'll get that chapter out next week! That is... if I get enough reviews... (smiles)**

**R&R guys**

**Love you,**

**-S'S**


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